Broiler Hatchery ISSN: 1949-1840 Released February 8, 2012, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Broiler-Type Eggs Set Down 6 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 193 million eggs in incubators during the week ending February 4, 2012. This was down 6 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 85 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler-Type Chicks Placed Down 5 Percent Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed 160 million chicks for meat production during the week ending February 4, 2012. Placements were down 5 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2012 through February 4, 2012 were 807 million, down 4 percent from the same period a year earlier. Broiler-Type Eggs Set - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : January 21, : January 28, : February 4, : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 27,562 28,078 27,840 28,025 27,962 26,916 Arkansas .....................: 20,187 20,082 20,085 20,073 20,235 19,931 Delaware .....................: 3,232 3,265 3,261 3,262 3,258 3,265 Florida ......................: 1,347 1,351 1,351 1,353 1,352 1,352 Georgia ......................: 31,839 31,430 31,386 31,148 31,630 30,927 Kentucky .....................: 7,634 7,545 7,664 7,643 7,389 7,655 Louisiana ....................: 3,348 3,364 3,379 3,440 3,424 3,440 Maryland .....................: 7,447 7,364 7,098 7,669 7,216 6,867 Mississippi ..................: 17,763 17,573 17,626 18,111 18,185 18,147 Missouri .....................: 7,433 7,853 7,623 7,677 7,668 7,784 : North Carolina ...............: 19,927 19,760 19,790 19,988 19,952 20,206 Oklahoma .....................: 6,268 6,585 6,787 6,721 6,609 6,841 Pennsylvania .................: 3,812 3,662 3,875 3,849 3,831 3,711 South Carolina ...............: 5,164 5,250 5,348 5,363 5,156 5,318 Texas ........................: 13,915 14,343 14,053 14,272 14,345 14,441 Virginia .....................: 5,909 5,694 5,939 6,231 5,698 5,985 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,577 10,010 10,479 9,376 10,478 10,247 : 19 State total ...............: 193,364 193,209 193,584 194,201 194,388 193,033 : Previous year total ..........: 203,224 205,419 205,099 204,116 203,933 205,787 : Percent of previous year .....: 95 94 94 95 95 94 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : January 21, : January 28, : February 4, : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 20,811 20,132 19,898 20,265 20,298 19,730 Arkansas .....................: 20,378 19,296 18,012 18,621 19,924 20,438 Delaware .....................: 4,385 3,952 4,547 3,901 4,431 4,082 Florida ......................: 1,160 1,160 1,160 953 1,136 1,149 Georgia ......................: 26,917 26,997 27,346 26,950 27,019 26,053 Kentucky .....................: 6,378 6,098 6,021 6,219 6,646 5,839 Louisiana ....................: 2,943 2,987 2,992 2,995 3,010 3,023 Maryland .....................: 5,968 5,474 6,060 6,386 5,518 5,790 Mississippi ..................: 15,407 15,542 15,594 15,053 15,037 15,122 Missouri .....................: 5,004 5,554 6,087 4,913 5,036 4,932 : North Carolina ...............: 15,635 15,439 15,738 15,698 15,780 15,699 Oklahoma .....................: 3,746 4,042 4,693 4,691 3,943 3,220 Pennsylvania .................: 3,134 3,196 3,136 3,179 3,065 3,229 South Carolina ...............: 4,115 4,828 4,435 4,221 4,124 4,956 Texas ........................: 11,848 11,964 11,794 11,770 11,809 11,575 Virginia .....................: 4,710 5,698 4,693 4,844 4,785 5,164 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,364 9,509 10,772 10,296 9,565 10,319 : 19 State total ...............: 162,903 161,868 162,978 160,955 161,126 160,320 : Previous year total ..........: 168,813 168,417 168,220 167,507 168,493 168,151 : Percent of previous year .....: 96 96 97 96 96 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: Data for broiler hatchery estimates are collected weekly from all chicken hatcheries within the 19 States that hatch at least one million chicks a year. The 19 States account for approximately 97 percent of the broilers produced on an annual basis. Individual NASS field offices maintain a list of all known hatcheries and update their lists on a continual basis. All hatcheries within the 19 States that meet the minimum size criteria are given adequate time to respond to the weekly survey. Those that do not respond are contacted by telephone. Estimating Procedures: All data are analyzed for unusual values. Data from each operation are compared to their own past operating profile and to trends from similar operations. Data for missing operations are estimated based on similar operations or historical data. NASS field offices prepare these estimates by using a combination of survey indications and historic trends. Individual State estimates are reviewed by the Agricultural Statistics Board for reasonableness. Individual hatchery data are summed to State and 19 State totals. Revision Policy: Revisions are generally the result of late or corrected data. Revisions made to the previous five-week's data during the current week are published in this report. Final estimates are published in the annual Hatchery Production Summary released in April. Reliability: Estimates are subject to errors such as omission, duplication, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. While these errors cannot be measured directly, they are minimized through strict quality controls in the data collection process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ......................................................... (202) 720-3570 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section .................................. (202) 720-4447 Cody Brokmeyer - Honey, Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ................. (202) 690-3237 David Colwell - Cold Storage ............................................................... (202) 720-8784 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ................................................................. (202) 690-8632 Miste Salmon - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products, Mink .. (202) 720-3244 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. 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